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"Paranormal Stoke-on-Trent" (History Press Ltd) is the new 96 page book detailing hauntings, myths and legends in and around the city of Stoke. It is the culmination of many years experience and research by Matt Hicks, along with Terri Setterington. Read More »

Stone Circles Gazetteer

Stone Circles Gazetteer

Arbor Low is one of the most important prehistoric sites in Derbyshire. Surrounded by unspoiled countryside with fantastic views over classic Derbyshire scenery, it is not hard to image that one is thousands of miles away from the hubbub of modern life. Read More »

History, the ritual landscape and geometry once resonated very much as one. Faint traces of our ancestors whose silent whispers in the landscape once conveyed so much awe and splendour now sadly lie silent, their purpose and meaning largely forgotten, for in general there is a present day lack of any real sense of connectedness. Read More »

The stone circle and henge that surrounds the village of Avebury, is only one in a series of monuments concentrated in this small area. The site is a remnant of a ritual Neolithic landscape, which still survives although degraded with time and the actions of over zealous groups in past centuries. Read More »

Ballynoe is a large stone circle dating from the Late Neolithic Period situated with superb views of the Mountains of Mourne to the South. Its position and size make it one of the most impressive stone circles in Ireland. Read More »

Bedd Gorfal is also known as the Harlech stone circle and is situated close to the ancient Fonlief Hir track way. There are eight stones in the four metre diameter circle, five of them are easily visible and three are small and easily overlooked. The tallest stone is only about one metre tall, and it is split. Read More »

These are two giant standing stones, probably two of the tallest in Wales, standing thirteen feet and ten feet tall. They are situated in a field, and actually form part of the field boundary. The stones were recorded as being part of a stone circle the 17th Century, but the circle was allegedly demolished in 19th Century, by locals looking for buried treasure. Read More »

Situated near the village of Calanais, Isle of Lewis on a ridge of land above Loch Roag, Callanais is one of the more remote stone circles in the British Isles. The circle consists of a central stone just under five metres in height, surrounded by a circle of thirteen stones. Read More »

Castlerigg Stone Circle is one of the finest in Cumbria, it is spectacularly situated within a panorama of rugged hills of ever changing character, depending on the mercurial Lakeland weather. Read More »

ASSAP (The Association for the Scientific Study of Anomalous Phenomena) in partnership with Mysterious Britain & Ireland is opening up its long running Project Albion to enable members of the public to directly contribute towards it. Read More »

One of the most impressive and easy to access stone circles in the Tay valley: Croft Moraig is situated just off the A827 between Aberfeldy and the head of Loch Tay. The sites long history as a changing ritual centre in the Neolithic and early Bronze Age make it one of the most important monuments in the area. Read More »

The church may occupy a site on which a stone circle once stood, some of the stones can still be seen incorporated into the fabric of the church. In other stories the stones came from a circle on the other side of Dunino Den. It was quite common for churches to be built on much older pagan sites.
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Elva Hill is known as a fairy hill and the name may be derived from an old Viking name meaning place of the elves. A stone circle on its slope suggests ancient ritual use of the area, only 15 stones of the original 30 remain. The circle is on private land belonging to Elva Farm, but there is a nearby footpath. The site is thought to date from Neolithic times.
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The stone circle is associated with fairy lights. One of the stones in the circle is known as the fairy stone and may have been venerated in the past as a fairy abode.

When we arrived at the site, the day after a major festival in the Celtic calender, offerings of fruit and pine cones had been placed on top of each stone. Probably by modern day pagans or witches.
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The Hurlers are three stone circles situated on moorland to the Northwest of Minions. The circles are aligned Southwest to Northeast and consist of low granite blocks of varying shapes and sizes. They date back to the Bronze Age period. According to legend they are reputed to be the petrified remains of men who were hurling on the Sabbath. Read More »

The Kilmartin Valley is home to one of the most varied collections of prehistoric sites in the whole of Scotland. Bronze Age cairns, Neolithic chambered tombs, and enigmatic rock carvings, can all be found within a two-mile radius from Kilmartin village.
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The Isle of Arran, off the West Coast of Scotland, has many stone circles and standing stones dating from the Neolithic period and the early Bronze Age. The finest collection of circles can be found on Machrie Moor, on the West of the island. The whole moorland is littered with the remains of early man, from hut circles to chambered cairns and solitary standing stones. Read More »

Fourteen stones remain of this circle which probably numbered about thirty when it was built around 2000-1400BC. It sits on the ridge of Stapeley Hill, in view of the Stiperstones and the Welsh border. The circle is 27 metres in diameter and is 330 metres above sea level. Read More »

Stones used in the construction of the 1822 Rawthey Bridge over which the A683 passes were plundered from a stone circle described in The History and Antiquities of the Counties of Westmorland and Cumberland, 1777 by J Nicolson & R Burn. “A circle of large stones, supposed to be a monument of druid worship”. According to Rev. Read More »

The ancient site known as the Sanctuary can be found on Overton Hill (aka Hakpen Hill) at the start of the Ridgeway footpath. Dating from 3000BC it is the site of a stone circle which marked the end of the West Kennet Avenue. Read More »

The Neolithic ritual site of Stanton Drew consists of three stone circles and a group of stones referred to as 'The Cove'. The largest of the circles known as the Great Circle consists of 27 stones, most of which are recumbent (lying down) having fallen in the past. Read More »

The standing stones below Stemster Hill, are unusual in that they consist of a U shape, rather than the traditional stone circle. Their real purpose is unknown but they may have had an astronomical usage.

Stonehenge is probably the most recognisable and enigmatic stone circle in Britain. The structure has fascinated people for centuries, and there are many theories as to what purpose it was put to by ancient man. Stonehenge has suffered over the years from trophy hunters, and the wear and tear of many visitors. Read More »

A beautiful solitary stone circle, the stones are said to be uncountable, there is also a legend which suggests a church buried beneath the stones. It is sometimes referred to as the Sunkenkirk for this very reason. The circle is also referred to as the 'grey cobbles'.
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This stone circle is located close to Bryn Cader Faner, just to the east of the path that leads to this more famous ancient monument. The circle is difficult to find in the Welsh mountain moorland, chiefly because the stones are low to the ground and have been overgrown by the moor. Read More »

Standing stones known as the Merry Maidens, lie Southeast of St Buryan, and are thought to date back to the Bronze Age. The circle consists of regular spaced granite stones, most under four feet in height. Read More »

The twelve apostles, although the largest stone circle in Scotland and the fifth in Britain, tends to be overlooked because it is not visually that impressive. The circle consists of eleven squat boulders of a probable twelve, constructed in a flattened circle, some 88M in diameter at its widest. Read More »

Situated 1264 feet above sea level, the Twelve Apostles Standing Stones (once known as the Druids Chair and the Druidical Dial Circle) is the second highest ancient monument on Rombald’s Moor and probably dates from 3500-4000 years. Read More »

Woodhenge is much older than Stonehenge and is aligned to the Midsummer sunrise. The monument consisted of concentric rings of tall wooden posts and must have been an impressive sight when it was completed. Rings of concrete markers now mark where the posts would have originally stood. Read More »

Three miles from Devil’s Bridge is the 19th century Ysbyty Cynfyn Church, which stands in the remains of a stone circle. Two of the stones now act as posts for the gate leading into the churchyard. Another two are set into the church wall itself. The tallest of the stones is in the North of the churchyard and stands 3.4m high. Read More »

Featured Site

Situated on an island in the middle of Lake Menteith, the only 'Lake' in Scotland, Inchmahome Priory is a ruined Augustine (The Black Cannons) priory founded in 1238 by Walter Comyn, who was the Earl of Menteith. The Earl is likely to have founded the monastery for the good of his soul, and to show of his status as an important landowner. Read More »

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